Mark Pettus
Teaching Pastor
Church of the Highlands, Birmingham, AL
Top Quotes
“Christianity is not behavior modification. It is heart transformation.”
— What Is Love?
“And I just got to stand here in the first few moments and the first thing out of my mouth in this message on our 25th anniversary is all glory to God.”
— Higher Heights - Anniversary Sunday
“When God is first, everything else finds its proper place, including money.”
— Eternity-Focused Finances
“If we will put first things first, we'll get second things thrown in. But if we put second things first, we lose both first and second things.”
— Golden Rule Relationships
“the revival sparked that 2025 was is going to turn into a raging fire in 2026”
— Divine Order
“Hope in the original language is a faith-filled expectation.”
— Hope and Future
All Sermons
6 totalWhat Is Love?
Pastor Mark Pettus launches the Loveology series by establishing that God is love as defined in 1 Corinthians 13, that real love is agape (unconditional and sacrificial), and that our ability to love others flows from first receiving God's love ourselves.
Higher Heights - Anniversary Sunday
On Church of the Highlands' 25th anniversary, Pastor Mark Pettus casts vision for the next 25 years built on the Great Commission and the church's four pillars — Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, Make a Difference — while announcing new campuses, a refreshed brand, and a reimagined Growth Track experience.
Eternity-Focused Finances
Pastor Mark Pettus teaches that money is ultimately a heart issue, not just a financial one, and walks through the Parable of the Talents to establish four stewardship principles -- God owns it all, what we have is entrusted with purpose, faithfulness over fear, and eternal rewards -- before offering four practical applications: order over amount, calling over compensation, contentment over consumerism, and generosity over scarcity.
Golden Rule Relationships
Pastor Mark Pettus teaches that seeking God first in relationships means practicing the Golden Rule through three practical steps — pausing to understand others with biblical empathy, proactively stepping into action rather than reacting, and persevering through the power of the Holy Spirit rather than self-effort.
Divine Order
Pastor Pettus teaches from Matthew 6:33 that lasting change in 2026 will not come from resolutions or willpower but from living a divinely reordered life — seeking God's kingdom and righteousness first — empowered by the Holy Spirit to transform every area from the inside out.
Hope and Future
Pastor Pettus unpacks Jeremiah 29:11 as a message of encouragement during the Christmas season, teaching that God's promise of hope and future means it is not over for your purpose, your relationships, or your faith — even when circumstances feel like captivity.